Implementing production processes

• US 20070016429A1
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bournas, Redha, Peters, Paul, Saxena, Shishir, Salkeld, David, Noller, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,231,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/91
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5038 considering the execution order of a plurality of tasks, e.g. taking priority or time dependency constraints into consideration scheduling strategies G06F9/4881 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

In the implementation of a production process, event data corresponding to a parent event that has triggered an executable business process that has failed is logged. The event data is displayed to a user. Responsive to input from the user, a child event based on the event data is generated, and the child event is submitted to a process engine to initiate re-execution of the executable business process in accordance with the child event.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for implementing a production process, the method comprising:

logging event data corresponding to a parent event that has triggered an executable business process that has failed;

displaying the event data to a user; and

responsive to input from the user;

generating a child event based on the event data; and

submitting the child event to a process engine to initiate re-execution of the executable business process in accordance with the child event.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the child event has the same configuration as the parent event.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising:

receiving modification input from the user; and

modifying the configuration of the child event as compared to the parent event in accordance with the modification input.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the executable business process comprises a plurality of actions;

modifying the configuration of the child event as compared to the parent event in accordance with the modification input comprises setting a resumption action selected from the plurality of actions; and

the method further comprises re-executing the executable business process responsive to submission of the child event to the process engine such that the executable business process starts with the resumption action.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein modifying the configuration of the child event as compared to the parent event in accordance with the modification input comprises modifying a process input message of the executable business process and/or an action input message of an action of the executable business process.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein receiving the modification input from the user comprises receiving the modification input from the user via a graphical user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising generating an executable business process file comprising computer readable code and/or attributes to enable re-execution of the failed executable business process in accordance with the input from the user responsive to the submission of the child event to the process engine.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein submitting the child event to the process engine to initiate re-execution of the executable business process in accordance with the child event comprises submitting the child event to an event interface application that processed the parent event.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising displaying to the user at least one of executed events, statuses of processes triggered by executed events, executed actions, outputs of executed actions, input messages to actions, an input message to the executable business process, and/or a status of the executable business process.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the executable business process is an executable Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) process.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the executable business process comprises at least one Web Service.

12. A computer program product for implementing a production process, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therein, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code configured to log event data corresponding to a parent event that has triggered an executable business process that has failed;

computer usable program code configured to display the event data to a user; and

computer usable program code configured, in response to input from the user, to;

generate a child event based on the event data; and

submit the child event to a process engine to initiate re-execution of the executable business process in accordance with the child event.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 comprising:

computer usable program code configured to receive modification input from the user; and

computer usable program code configured to modify the configuration of the child event as compared to the parent event in accordance with the modification input.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein:

the executable business process comprises a plurality of actions;

the computer usable program code configured to modify the configuration of the child event as compared to the parent event in accordance with the modification input comprises computer usable program code configured to set a resumption action selected from the plurality of actions; and

the computer program product further comprises computer usable program code configured to re-execute the executable business process responsive to submission of the child event to the process engine such that the executable business process starts with the resumption action.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer usable program code configured to modify the configuration of the child event as compared to the parent event in accordance with the modification input comprises computer usable program code configured to modify a process input message of the executable business process and/or an action input message of an action of the executable business process.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer usable program code configured to receive modification input from the user comprises computer usable program code configured to receive the modification input from the user via a graphical user interface.

17. The computer program product of claim 12 comprising computer usable program code configured to generate an executable business process file comprising computer usable code and/or attributes to enable re-execution of the failed executable business process in accordance with the input from the user responsive to the submission of the child event to the process engine.

18. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the computer usable program code configured to submit the child event to the process engine to initiate re-execution of the executable business process in accordance with the child event comprises computer usable program code configured to submit the child event to an event interface application that processed the parent event.

19. The computer program product of claim 12 comprising computer usable program code configured to display to the user at least one of executed events, statuses of processes triggered by executed events, executed actions, outputs of executed actions input messages to actions, an input message to the executable business process, and/or a status of the executable business process.

20. A system for implementing a production process, the system comprising at least one application server configured to:

log event data corresponding to a parent event that has triggered an executable business process that has failed;

display the event data to a user; and

responsive to input from the user;

generate a child event based on the event data; and

submit the child event to a process engine to initiate re-execution of the executable business process in accordance with the child event.